


the path to forgiveness

by Skarias



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Forgiveness, Hiroshi didn't die, Pai Sho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 16:36:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17512130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarias/pseuds/Skarias
Summary: (AU where Hiroshi survives and serves out the rest of his sentence after the season finale.)Their vacation in the Spirit World was over and while Korra had been avoiding accompanying Asami to see her father, she decides it's time to face the man on her own terms.





	the path to forgiveness

 

Korra felt like their vacation had barely begun when it was time to return to Republic City. If it were up to her they would’ve spent another week in the company of spirits, drinking tea with Iroh and spent more time sleeping beneath the stars – unfortunately Asami didn’t have that luxury. Korra didn’t have the first idea how much time actually went into managing your very own company, let alone a giant corporation like Future Industries, until she moved into Asami’s apartment. She had stopped counting the nights were Asami would stumble into their bedroom late into the night, barely having enough energy in her to kick off her shoes and shrug out of her jacket before collapsing next to Korra onto the mattress.

It didn’t take long for things to settle into a normality of sorts, as normal as things could get in a city where spirit vines still ran through people’s living rooms, anyway. Yet they found their own little rhythm. They made a habit of at least getting breakfast together before both of them went to play their parts into rebuilding Republic City. It wasn’t unusual to read about a glider landing on the Future Industries balcony in the tabloids every now and again, while it only fueled the speculations the press had about her and Asami, Korra didn’t care. She was happier than she had been in a long time and she wouldn’t let anyone take that happiness away from her.

While _Miss Sato’_ _s_ schedule (Korra wouldn’t get tired of calling her that any time soon) was usually filled to the brim with business meetings, phone calls that were about as pleasant as talking to President Raiko, and reviewing Future Industrie’s newest prototypes, there was, without fault, a blank every week just before Asami turned in for the weekend. A few hours of nothingness whose purpose was only known to herself and the Korra. Once every week Asami would visit Republic City’s maximum security prison and visit her father.

Today, however was not one of the days scheduled into her calendar, and the person passing the guards watching the main gate of the facility wasn’t Asami Sato. Instead the Avatar passed the countless doors as she strode through the gray corridors, holding onto the Pai Sho board she took with her from Air Temple Island a few weeks ago after Asami had insisted that she simply _had_ to learn how to play.

The guard at the door gave Korra a curt nod before unlocking the door with a swift motion of metal bending and quickly stepped aside, she had barely taken a step inside before she heard the door shut close behind her. The room was sparsely furnished, a table and a pair of chairs, a plant in the corner and a shelf with a few books in it was all the interior had to offer.

“Asami,” Hiroshi said, his back was turned to the Avatar and his eyes lost somewhere outside the barred window he was looking out of. “I didn’t expect you t– Avatar Korra.” his voice shifted abruptly as he turned around, the neutral expression on his face flashing a brief hint of surprise before settling into the same lines she saw Asami wear in her meetings.

“Mr Sato,” Korra said, unsure how to address the man she settled for the first thing that came to her mind. In truth the man before her wasn’t much like the businessman she had met years ago. Hiroshi’s hair had grown out, strains that once were black had long turned gray and it almost looked like his whole face had sunk in. “or Hiroshi, I don’t really know how to do this. Look, I know Asami has been coming here every week and I… if she is strong enough to forgive you I figured that I might be, too. I want to try, at the very least.”

Hiroshi returned his attention back toward the window, turning his back to Korra she was just about ready to believe he’d just ignore her until she would leave him alone. What Korra didn’t expect was for him to turn around and make his way to the table in the center of the cell. “Asami talks a lot about you, you know?” he said, sitting on one of the chairs. “We don’t talk all that much, but when we do… you’re special to her and I think I’m ready to respect that.”

Korra took a tentative step toward the table, Hiroshi made no objections. She placed the board on the table and wordlessly began to arrange the different pieces, something Asami usually did to unwind from a long day at the company. She didn’t exactly know how much time she’d spent at the prison, and at some point she’d lost track how many times she’d won and much she’d lost. It didn’t matter, not really. What mattered was that she was winning without trying right now.

“You let me win, didn’t you?” she asked, sealing the game with a final move of one of her pieces. Korra knew that she barely stood a chance against Asami, and if everything she knew about the game came from Hiroshi, she really shouldn’t have won a single time.

“Hm, perhaps,” he said after studying the board for a short moment, “but I think there’s a lesson in that. I once believed that folk that gave up in their battles were weak, that they didn’t have the intelligence or skill to finish what they started.” Hiroshi looked up from the table, meeting Korra’s gaze. “I’ve had a lot of time to think, Avatar Korra, and one of the things I realized was that sometimes admitting defeat is the only way to achieve something akin to true victory in the end. I may never be able to repent for the things I’ve done, but I can try to be better than the man I used to be.”

“I would like that.” Korra said as they stood by the door. A few seconds passed until Hiroshi tentatively extended his hand, she stared at the gesture for a moment before taking his hand. The sun was just short of vanishing behind the horizon by the time she had left the prison behind, she hadn’t known what to expect from today but she couldn’t help but feel a little lighter than she had just a few hours ago. If forgiveness was a road, than perhaps today had been the first step on a long jorney.

**Author's Note:**

> So... I wrote this a while back before Turf Wars and all that was a thing. (I mean if Hiroshi's death didn't happen than ignoring the comics isn't too much of a stretch, right?)


End file.
